Silver from a Silent Film
by Blood Rose Knight
Summary: Oscar isn't quite sure what Ozpin means when he says his work should be more vulnerable. That is, until he met a girl named Ruby who put more sugar in her cup than coffee. RWBY Rosegarden Week 2018 2.0 Day 2- Silver


**Silver from a Silent Film**

Oscar knew he was in trouble when Ozpin asked him to stay after class when he finished with his painting class for the day.

Ozpin was not only Oscar's art professor, but he was also the head of the entire art department at Beacon Academy. He was the man Oscar looked up to the most out of everyone at the school, and he was famous for his gallery show called "The Four Maidens". When Oscar found out he would have him as a professor he thought he was going to die.

But now he might actually die of embarrassment as he waited for the rest of his classmates to clear out. Jaune, a Junior who changed his major at the last minute, had clapped Oscar on the shoulder as if to try and comfort the poor college freshmen. Oscar had given him a weak smile in response before he groaned and began to pack up his own things meticulously and slowly.

When the sound of the door clicking closed filled the echo of an empty studio, Oscar knew he was alone now.

"Mr. Pine," Ozpin said in his usually smooth voice that always had a bite to it that made it uncomfortable to be the object of its focus. "Do you know why I asked you to stay today?"

"Not really," Oscar mumbled as he stared down at the paint covered floor rather then Ozpin. Ozpin sighed before pulling up a stool to sit next to Oscar.

"I want to know what your goals for the future are Mr. Pine, why you decided to be an Art major." Oscar hated that question. It was a question he had gotten many times in his life accompanied by the lecture of how hard it is for an artist to find a living in today's society.

"I want to be an Art major, because it's what I love to do, no, it's what I need to do. I can't see myself doing anything else with my life." Oscar's head flipped to meet Ozpin's gaze and to his surprise, he saw his mentor have a mildly amused expression.

"You have talent Mr. Pine," Ozpin admitted and Oscar started to feel less defensive and more bashful. He hardly let anyone see his art before college so he was still a little shy about letting others see it.

"However," Ozpin started and Oscar snapped out of the giddy daydream he was having about working with Ozpin on future galleries. "I can feel any emotional attachment or significance to any of your works."

"What do you mean by that?" Oscar asked as he blinked with wide, innocent eyes.

"I mean it doesn't feel like there is any attachment to your subjects that you are painting. No meaning to you personally that makes a buyer or observer also feel attached to. Your technique is stunning, no one can deny that. But there isn't any vulnerability on your part as the artist with the piece." Ozpin paused to gauge Oscar's reactions before sighing. "I would like to nominate you as one of the freshmen representatives for the art gala in the spring, but unless you can bring me a painting in a month from now that shows you can paint with emotion I'm afraid I'll have to choose someone else."

Oscar's head was spinning. Ozpin wanted him to be a freshmen representative for the spring gala? If you could be featured in the spring gala your future was basically sealed and you could get your name out there to extinguished buyers and possibly be allowed to have a personal gallery in the summer that was open for public observation. On the other hand, he had a month to prove he deserved the spot.

"I won't let you down sir," Oscar said as he straightened up with fierce determination burning in his chest.

"That's what I like to hear," Ozpin said with a smile. "Now, go. Find a muse and paint something near to your heart."

"Right," Oscar said before grabbing his bag of supplies and practically skipping out the door to leave and begin work on his new project.

…

Oscar made it all the way back to his dorm room and opened up all of his supplies before he realized he had no idea what to paint and no clue what the hell Ozpin was talking about. Oscar could only groan and drag his hands across his face in frustration. He really should have asked for an example or clarification before skipping off like he knew what the fuck Ozpin was talking about.

It wasn't like Oscar hadn't even painted anything personal before. When asked to turn in a portrait he had painted his aunt as she read a book by their old house's fireplace. He had used their value assignment in a previous intro class the last semester to draw his roommate playing with his dog. All of these things were lacking the emotion that Ozpin was apparently talking about.

"Why am I such an idiot?" Oscar asked himself.

"Because you chose to leap before you looked." Oh, that was right, he wasn't alone in the room at the moment. Oscar was currently rooming with a senior named Fox who also happened to be blind. Fox was an Art major who specialized in sculpture and worked his butt off to prove he was worthy of his own gallery last summer. Oscar had gone to see it before school started and was overwhelmed by the fact that its creator was going to be his roommate.

"Thanks for the reminder," Oscar said with a hint of sarcasm. "I'm going to get some coffee because this is going to be a long semester."

"Good luck," Fox said before putting headphones on.

The cafeteria was only a few floors below Oscar's room and, with it being the middle of the semester, most of the students had opted for cheaper options in hopes of saving for something else to do or buy with their measly savings. The only people who still ate in the cafeteria were those who had the cash to burn or they had bought a meal plan with the school before the beginning of the new term.

Oscar fell into the latter category.

After swiping his meal card, he began to rummage for something to snack on along with a good stiff cup of black coffee. He hated coffee before college but man, they weren't kidding when they said college changes you.

There was a person already at the coffee station, humming a song he could vaguely recognize the melody to. He waited for a few moments before he began to question if they knew how to use the coffee machine. When Oscar grew curious he peaked over the petite girl's shoulder. Only to see her pouring almost the whole canister of sugar in its place.

"Want some coffee with that sugar?"

"Huh?" She jumped at the sudden voice speaking to her and spinning to take a look at the source of the one who sassed her.

Oscar felt his jaw hit the proverbial floor.

She was slender, with a kind of hot-topic-exclusive-shopper vibe about her from her tip-dyed red hair to her leather combat boots. She was pale, with a button nose and a round face. What really got him though were her eyes. She had the widest eyes that gleamed silver like liquid mercury even under the harsh fluorescent lights of the cafeteria. The eyes that reminded him of an actress from a silent movie.

"Uh, sorry to startle you, I didn't mean to freak you out," Oscar said after they had already awkwardly stared at each other for a solid minute in silence waiting for one or the other to break it.

"It's alright, I just don't' seem to be running on much sleep," she said in a voice that was so honey sweet Oscar began to wonder if he could get cavities from it. "Be a robotics major they said. It would be fun they said."

"Well, I know I'm just some random ass who made fun of how you get your coffee," Oscar said before he could even contemplate how ridiculous he sounded. "But if you aren't ready to go back to work yet I wouldn't mind some company. I'm not really ready to work on school again myself."

"You were making fun of it? I thought you were just stating a fact," she said with a giggle and Oscar just somehow knew he had some derpy confused look that would be a great base for a meme. "I wouldn't mind the company. My lap partner is crashed right now anyway so it wouldn't do much good to go back to work now anyway."

Oscar quickly got his coffee, black, and they found a table in the back of the cafeteria where they began to chat about everything and nothing. Apparently, her name was Ruby Rose, she's a sophomore robotics major, her sister was a physical education major and a senior, her lab partner was a sophomore named Penny and they had been challenged by Professor Ironwood of the science department to work on the basis for a possible neurochip that could translate brain signals into arm movements for prosthetics.

"Wow," Oscar said after he finished his sip of coffee. "And I thought I had it bad."

"Oh, and what's your current dilemma?" Ruby asked him as she scooted a little closer to him on the bench they were sitting on so she could listen more intently. She felt so warm next to him it took everything in Oscar's body to not reach out and touch her.

He explained his current predicament with Ozpin and how he was stressed to try and figure out something that made him feel vulnerable by the deadline and create a painting that portrayed that emotion.

"Seriously, what does that even mean," Oscar said with a laugh before running a hand through his hair. Ruby shrugged in response.

"I've always been more of a literal definition person," Ruby said with another shrug. "But if feel like that means you are trying to show a part of what you feel about things not just showing it in the literal sense."

Oscar must have given her another derpy look of confusion because she continued then.

"Like sharing a memory, unless there is some personal connection to it, it just sounds like your telling a story. You have to let the embarrassment, or pride, or sadness show or it's just a passing thought."

It must have all clicked at that moment because Oscar stood up abruptly and grabbed Ruby's face softly and leaned his forehead to hers.

"Ruby you are a genius," Oscar said suddenly and he was vaguely aware of her face turning beet red.

"Uh, thanks," she stammered out as he took off.

"I have to go paint now, but I'll text you!"

"You don't have my number."

"Oh right… I'll meet you here tomorrow and get it then. Same time!"

"I look forward to it!" They both laughed then. And Oscar turned to run as he laughed again for the second time that day. This time with something he knew would be personal enough for Ozpin. Personal enough for him. And something he would be proud to show Ruby.

He didn't know how he knew, but some part of him screamed that what he was feeling was love. True or not he didn't know.

But he knew this feeling was going to be exactly what he painted.

…

A two months later, and a month after showing the piece to Ozpin, Oscar stood in the gallery with his palm sweating uncontrollably. He now understood what Ozpin was talking about when he said he should feel vulnerable to show it to someone else. Sure, he had been nervous to show it to Ozpin a month ago but he figured that was because he didn't know if it would pass or not, not because he didn't want to share with anyone how he felt for Ruby.

Speaking of the devil. Ruby was standing beside him in a pretty red cocktail dress with a clip holding the side of her hair back that Oscar had gotten her for their one-month anniversary a few weeks back when she complained about how her bangs fell in her face while she was trying to sawder pieces together. It was almost sad to look back and think about how nervous he was when he asked her out after only knowing each other for a few weeks. Though, not as awkward as when he had asked if he could use her as the muse for his painting.

Both times she had replied with the same giggle and, "Of course silly."

"They're going to love you," Ruby reassured him as she his hand firmly in hers despite him complaining about sweaty hands. "You even got Weiss to say you were good, and she hates everyone."

Oscar let out a bit of a chuckle at that. Meeting her friend from high school had been something else entirely, but after a week of her lack of intimidation on Oscar, she accepted he wasn't going anywhere and how maybe, just maybe, he had the talent to make art for a living.

"I suppose," Oscar said and he allowed Ruby to drag him from the entrance to take his spot next to his piece so he could answer any questions anyone might have had.

Because Oscar knew he could never part with this specific piece, he had rushed to paint a copy that could be sold at the show. Ruby said she couldn't tell the difference when she looked at the two of them and Ozpin had allowed him to swap the pictures with no protest as "It still had the same energy" so he was able to keep his copy in his dorm room above the desk he worked on.

The painting was relatively simple at first. It was Ruby's silhouette in all black but her eyes showed the silver of her eyes. At first, it looked like just that. Until you got closer. Then you saw a mix of stars that glittered and swirled together to make a galaxy. He even threw in metallic silver paint and glitter for highlights.

"Did you always like silver so much?" Ruby asked as she inspected the painting on the wall more closely.

"Not until I met you."

* * *

BRK: Ta-da and now I'm back on schedule.


End file.
